Vienna vs San Francisco - Salaries, Cost of Living, Housing & Community Insights

-$198K (-73%) vs San Francisco

-$121K (-70%) vs San Francisco

Vienna is the ultimate "golden cage" for software engineers. It offers arguably the best infrastructure and stability in the world, trading high raw earning power for an stress-free, comfortable existence. While the salaries ($74k median) won't make you rich like in Zurich or San Francisco, the purchasing power remains strong due to lower rents and living costs. The city excels in safety, transport, and leisure, but fails in bureaucratic efficiency and social warmth. The tech scene is stable but conservative, favoring Java/C# enterprise shops over dynamic startups. It is a city that solves "life" problems (housing, health, safety) perfectly, leaving you to solve the social ones on your own.

Conflicted but comfortable.

Most transplants admit they have a love-hate relationship with the city. They love the city itself—the affordable rent, the fact that everything works, and the beauty—but they often dislike the people interactions.

A common sentiment on Reddit is that making Austrian friends is notoriously difficult, forcing expats into "bubbles." However, very few want to leave because the quality of life is so high that moving anywhere else feels like a downgrade in living standards. The consensus is: "Come for the quality of life, stay because you can't afford this lifestyle anywhere else, but complain about the grumpiness daily."

10% cheaper than San Francisco

World-class Quality of Life: Consistently ranked #1 globally for livability, with excellent public infrastructure, clean streets, and high safety.

Affordable Housing Model: Strong tenant protections and the unique Genossenschaft (cooperative housing) system keep rents significantly lower than in London, Paris, or Amsterdam.

Superior Public Transport: The Wiener Linien annual pass costs only €365 (€1/day) for unlimited reliable travel across the entire city.

Work-Life Balance: Standard 38.5-hour work weeks, 25 days of paid vacation, and 13+ public holidays are the norm.

Clean Environment: Exceptional air quality (ranking #2 in pollution index) and abundant green spaces/parks within the city limits.

Safety: Ranked #25 globally for safety, making it one of the safest capitals in Europe, even at night.

Central Location: Ideally positioned for weekend trips to Bratislava, Budapest, Prague, or the Austrian Alps.

Lower Tech Salaries: Pay is significantly lower than in Switzerland, the US, or even Munich/Berlin; maximizing net worth here is difficult.

Notorious Bureaucracy: The immigration authority MA35 is legendary for being slow, unresponsive, and difficult to deal with for non-EU permits.

Social Coldness: The "Wiener Grantler" (grumpy local) stereotype is real; locals can appear rude, reserved, or sarcastic to newcomers.

Language Barrier: While tech jobs may be in English, German is mandatory for social integration, dealing with government offices, and reading contracts.

Limited Startup Scene: The job market is dominated by legacy corporate roles (banking, insurance, public sector) rather than cutting-edge tech innovation.

High Taxes: Progressive tax rates are steep (median net income is significantly lower than gross), impacting high earners.

Smoking Culture: Unlike many other western cities, smoking is still relatively common in outdoor social spaces.

Families and stability-seekers.

If you want a safe place to raise children, hate commuting by car, and value free time over career climbing, Vienna is perfect. It is ideal for engineers who are willing to learn German to access a high-quality, slow-paced lifestyle where the government effectively subsidizes your comfort.

Ambitious hustlers and social butterflies.

If your goal is to FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early), work on the bleeding edge of AI, or make friends instantly at a bar, you will be miserable here. The lower salary ceiling and the reserved, sometimes grumpy local culture will frustrate those who thrive on high energy, rapid growth, and outward friendliness.

4.3/10TechCities weather score vs 8.7/10 in San Francisco

14°C(vs 19°C in San Francisco)

6°C(vs 12°C in San Francisco)

2,048h/yr-1014h/yr(-33%)

25°C(vs 22°C in San Francisco)

-3°C(vs 8°C in San Francisco)

Vienna community pulse

Vienna has 9 Luma events listed.

82% fewer events than San Francisco.

9.4 years longer than San Francisco

3/yr(same as San Francisco)

50%(vs 34% in San Francisco)

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